'Survivor: Philippines' Will Bring Back Three Evacuated Players

May 14, 2012 09:08:48 GMT

Host Jeff Probst reveals that each of the returning contestants will be on a different tribe, explaining that the next season will move back to a 3-tribe format.

Jeff Probst has uncovered a big twist on the upcoming season of "Survivor", which will take place in a brand new location in the Philippines. The host of the CBS reality game show opened up to Entertainment Weekly that there will be three returning players as the series returns for its 25th season this fall.

Revealing that "Survivor: Philippines" has recently wrapped filming in the Caramoan Islands, Probst also stated that the new season of the show will bring back some players who were medically evacuated in the previous season. Each returning contestant, he explained, will be on a different tribe. That means the game will reuse a 3-tribe format for the first time since "Survivor: All Stars" in season 8.

Probst explained how the idea of the twist first came up, "First we decided on three tribes. That was the first thing. And that was just an effort to change up the way the numbers were playing." He went on saying, "People were locking into these alliances of five. So we thought, okay, let's try a three-tribe scenario and see what that does."

"Once we had the three tribes, we talked about are we going to do returnees? I love returnees. I love second chances," the host added. "I love the losers bracket in sports. I love all of it. So I love these guys coming back. And then we hit on the evacuees and went, that's it! These are true second chancers. They were pulled from the game. They didn't quit. They didn't get voted out. They were yanked."

Probst announced on Sunday, May 13, during the season finale of "Survivor: One World", that the next season is set to premiere on CBS sometime in September.